Posted on Oct 20, 2014
Removing the stigma behind PTSD from our military and society
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It was a crisp and clean morning in Fairfax Virginia. I forced myself out of bed at the wee hours of the morning, strapped on my well-worn old combat boots, and sipped on my coffee on the way to the event. We arrived around 0800 as people milled around the registration booth. People were chipper despite the morning hours. Maybe it was the pleasant weather. Maybe it was the electricity that seemed to permeate through the air. The crowd was excited. They wore colored beads, photos of loved ones on banners, and cheered as the emcee announced how much money we raised. This vitality was a stark contrast to the event we were participating in. We were walking in support of suicide prevention. The pictures of smiling young faces were family members lost to suicide.
Though there was no stigma in the air that morning, as soon as the walk ended it felt that we returned back to a realm where suicide and mental illness bears the scarlet letter of shame. I have known three colleagues who felt there was no other way out. I knew them all personally, served with them in the Air Force, and was shocked at their choice. I tried to empathize why they thought death was the only release from this pain or if there were any warning signs I saw but ignored. But like so many of the survivors of suicide victims I was left with burning unanswered questions.
Suicide in nature is an absolute solution to a temporary problem. It is easy to state that without being in that suffering soul’s predicament where the pain is so overwhelming it clouds everything. Mental illness is just that, an illness. But in many cultures it is viewed as a weakness and a pariah. It is that thing we whisper about and never dare to actually talk about. With the sad passing of Robin Williams there was a spark at a national level to talk about this devastating disease. But I believe it has passed the mainstream media and we are still left with the stigma. According to a recent Huffington Post article, Veterans account for 10 percent of the US population but account roughly to be one out of every 5 suicides in US. CNN calculated that every day 22 veterans commit suicide and our community outpaces every demographic for suicide.
I’m not debating the why or how of this escalating issue, but appalled that in this day and age anyone struggling with mental illness feels a stigma or bias to being treated. Whether that person is active duty, a veteran waiting for a mental illness appointment, or your coworker, no matter who you are—those who suffer from this disease are afraid of bias of others around them to be perceived as weak. Other diseases such as cancer, diabetes, nor heart diseases are not viewed this way. So why are depression, bi-polar, and other mental illnesses?
We are fighting a war on stigma. We are fighting a war to aid people to get the help they desperately need. We are fighting a war so that everyone does not feel alone in their desperation. I am fighting so I will not have to add anymore friends to a rock to remember their life that was cut tragically short and possibly could have been avoided. I am fighting for VO, Ferg, and Omar and those who have survived them.
We learn how to identify the signs of depression in the military and how to point the individual in need in the right direction for help. But there is more the military can do to show service members with depression it’s okay to seek help.
How can we remove this stigma from our military and society? Does awareness have to go beyond introductory training programs? Maybe it has to be incorporated in our public school systems?
Though there was no stigma in the air that morning, as soon as the walk ended it felt that we returned back to a realm where suicide and mental illness bears the scarlet letter of shame. I have known three colleagues who felt there was no other way out. I knew them all personally, served with them in the Air Force, and was shocked at their choice. I tried to empathize why they thought death was the only release from this pain or if there were any warning signs I saw but ignored. But like so many of the survivors of suicide victims I was left with burning unanswered questions.
Suicide in nature is an absolute solution to a temporary problem. It is easy to state that without being in that suffering soul’s predicament where the pain is so overwhelming it clouds everything. Mental illness is just that, an illness. But in many cultures it is viewed as a weakness and a pariah. It is that thing we whisper about and never dare to actually talk about. With the sad passing of Robin Williams there was a spark at a national level to talk about this devastating disease. But I believe it has passed the mainstream media and we are still left with the stigma. According to a recent Huffington Post article, Veterans account for 10 percent of the US population but account roughly to be one out of every 5 suicides in US. CNN calculated that every day 22 veterans commit suicide and our community outpaces every demographic for suicide.
I’m not debating the why or how of this escalating issue, but appalled that in this day and age anyone struggling with mental illness feels a stigma or bias to being treated. Whether that person is active duty, a veteran waiting for a mental illness appointment, or your coworker, no matter who you are—those who suffer from this disease are afraid of bias of others around them to be perceived as weak. Other diseases such as cancer, diabetes, nor heart diseases are not viewed this way. So why are depression, bi-polar, and other mental illnesses?
We are fighting a war on stigma. We are fighting a war to aid people to get the help they desperately need. We are fighting a war so that everyone does not feel alone in their desperation. I am fighting so I will not have to add anymore friends to a rock to remember their life that was cut tragically short and possibly could have been avoided. I am fighting for VO, Ferg, and Omar and those who have survived them.
We learn how to identify the signs of depression in the military and how to point the individual in need in the right direction for help. But there is more the military can do to show service members with depression it’s okay to seek help.
How can we remove this stigma from our military and society? Does awareness have to go beyond introductory training programs? Maybe it has to be incorporated in our public school systems?
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 29
Thank you for writing this, Capt Richard Desmond -- I enjoyed reading it. Thought-provoking and sincere. I hope you write more content here on RP on the Command Post!
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Skipper, I don't know if you are retired from the services or still active. PTSD started as Shell Shock, Combat Fatigue during WW1, WW2, Korean War, Vietnam. It was the Vietnam War that coined the phrase PTSD. Then we had many conflicts between Vietnam and the First Persian Gulf War. 24 years ago is a long time for me. Now Traumatic Brain Injury is on the list. Disability, Disorder, Injuries are not the same, but for government purposes it is. Our society and our media decided the 5 W's and now no one trust men and now women who served our Country proudly and are scared to hire them. WE have had an all volunteer Armed Forces. Just plain and simple the DOD industrial complex along with our media will send our men and women in Harms Way every chance they have. It doesn't matter if you are a Democrat or Republican. As a Retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer with over 21 years of service and a combat disabled veteran I can tell you this, It starts at the very top of our government. We now have non-combatant civilian's working on all military bases. Why I ask? Because of the budget? Or because DOD is threaten by us Retirees who are the stake holders for the folks in uniform. If we don't do anything, then we all might as well dig our own grave. James K.
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This is close to home for me, for many reasons.
When it comes to stigma, it is undeniably present. Seeking mental/behavioral health assistance threatens your security clearance. It threatens your reputation. It means that you "fell out" when everyone else handled their challenges.
I think however that stigma is the least of a person's worries if they are contemplating suicide. It may keep them from seeking help in a timely manner, but the underlying issues driving suicidal ideation lie elsewhere.
Suicide is an act of desperation for someone who sees no other way out. It is very often a rational, well thought out decision with preparation and thought given to how their affairs get settled in the aftermath. You will not win a debate with a suicidal person. You will not "talk them out of it". What you can do is place a hand on their shoulder and care. Really care. If it is in your means to assist them with addressing the underlying issues, do so. No one wants to die, but some can't tolerate living. There is a difference. Give them an opportunity to contribute to the mission in ways that they care about. Give them responsibilities and purpose. Empathize, but don't try to tell them you "understand" because you experienced (blah, blah, blah). You are not in their shoes. Acting like you are brings resentment and erects barriers.
One last thing. DO NOT give them a reason to question your motives when you reach out to them. It is not about you, or the Army, or the unit. It is about that person and their challenges and that is it.
When it comes to stigma, it is undeniably present. Seeking mental/behavioral health assistance threatens your security clearance. It threatens your reputation. It means that you "fell out" when everyone else handled their challenges.
I think however that stigma is the least of a person's worries if they are contemplating suicide. It may keep them from seeking help in a timely manner, but the underlying issues driving suicidal ideation lie elsewhere.
Suicide is an act of desperation for someone who sees no other way out. It is very often a rational, well thought out decision with preparation and thought given to how their affairs get settled in the aftermath. You will not win a debate with a suicidal person. You will not "talk them out of it". What you can do is place a hand on their shoulder and care. Really care. If it is in your means to assist them with addressing the underlying issues, do so. No one wants to die, but some can't tolerate living. There is a difference. Give them an opportunity to contribute to the mission in ways that they care about. Give them responsibilities and purpose. Empathize, but don't try to tell them you "understand" because you experienced (blah, blah, blah). You are not in their shoes. Acting like you are brings resentment and erects barriers.
One last thing. DO NOT give them a reason to question your motives when you reach out to them. It is not about you, or the Army, or the unit. It is about that person and their challenges and that is it.
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CPT (Join to see)
To add to that, I see people that genuinely care, but then they are unwilling (or feel unable) to deviate from their own schedule. Caring for someone "on the ledge" has to take first and foremost priority, because that's one of our own. Regardless of what uniform they wear (or if they ever even wore a uniform), it is a fellow human in crisis. If you are late for a meeting, they will understand (I would hope)....if you are late for my formation....I don't care, as long as you communicate. Don't look at your watch as you are taking them to get care or simply sitting with them. Do what you need to do in that moment, because if you walk away it could be the last opportunity you miss.
Too often I see people so caught up in their own lives that they fail to even recognize the struggles of others. Of those that do, they are still not willing to say "I just need to call and say I will be late because you are important." Sometimes, those words alone can make a huge difference.
v/r,
CPT Butler
Too often I see people so caught up in their own lives that they fail to even recognize the struggles of others. Of those that do, they are still not willing to say "I just need to call and say I will be late because you are important." Sometimes, those words alone can make a huge difference.
v/r,
CPT Butler
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